Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
– Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
– Proverbs 3:5-6
Devotion
You may have heard the phrase, “knowledge is power.” Solomon seemed to have bought into that philosophy for a while. After some reflection, he described his pursuit of knowledge, learning, and wisdom as meaningless when he pursued it as a stand-alone goal, disconnected from obedience and reverence toward God. Pursuing wisdom apart from pursuing God is meaningless.
The Big Question
When in your life have you leaned on your own understanding (or knowledge, education, learning, or wisdom) instead of submitting all your ways to the Lord? Were you fully satisfied with the results? How can you find the “straight path”?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what you have learned.